Impact of Digitalization on Carbon Emissions in Guangdong’s Manufacturing Sector: An Input–Output Perspective

As global pressure to reduce emissions intensifies, China is increasingly turning to digital technologies to drive sustainable industrial development, aiming to boost production while keeping carbon emissions in check. This study takes a micro-level approach by dividing the industry into 17 sectors and applying an environmentally-extended input–output (EEIO) model combined with structural decomposition analysis (SDA) to quantify the impact of digital transformation on carbon emissions across sectors. This study used input–output data from 2012 and 2017. The results indicate that (1) technological improvements driven by digitalization play a key role in reducing industrial carbon emissions, and (2) while high-carbon sectors show substantial emission reductions due to digital transformation, industries such as textiles—where digital adoption is more challenging—exhibit only limited improvements. These findings underscore the need to further advance technological upgrading and transformation in less digitally integrated sectors.